Rahul Gandhi Climbs Barricade as Opposition March Is Halted

Rahul Gandhi climbed a police barricade and waved India’s flag as security officers blocked an opposition march in central Delhi. Behind him, INDIA bloc MPs sat on the road, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The march began at Parliament, but police stopped it near the NITI Aayog office, on the way to the Election Commission headquarters. ^2,8

The blocked march included Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Trinamool Congress leaders. Some MPs were detained and later released. Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra entered Akashvani Bhavan as they tried to move toward the Commission. The demonstrators carried signs and shouted slogans, including “Vote chor, gaddi chhod.” Rahul Gandhi also posted, “Gyanesh, it’s done bro. Time to resign.” ^2,8,11

Form 6, the application used to register a voter, lies at the heart of the dispute. Opposition leaders say Kumar changed the form without legal authority and point to the Supreme Court’s clarification that it had not approved the changes. They also accuse the Election Commission of mishandling its voter-roll revision, known as the Special Intensive Revision. They say eligible voters risk losing their right to vote. The Commission has maintained that its decisions followed legal procedures. ^1,4,20

The dispute goes beyond one form: the Election Commission is a constitutional body responsible for conducting elections, so claims that it is acting unfairly raise questions about public trust. But the claims remain disputed, and demanding a resignation is different from proving grounds for removal. The Supreme Court has sent notices to the Commission and the government over claims of one-sided decisions. The Commission’s response and records on the Form 6 changes are now central to the court’s review. ^24,27